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Friday, 3 February 2012

Lizzie Bravo recently sent a link to a radio show that John did in New York in 1974, as part of his efforts to promote Walls and Bridges. I don't recall having heard it heard it before, and it got me wondering what other promotional shizzle might be oot there. The ever interesting You Are The Plastic Ono Band site (link under Friends & Neighbours) lists most of the details regarding John's promo spots re. Walls and Bridges on US radio. He was a busy boy in September '74, and sure enough, some of this is floating around on YouTube. The conversations cover similar ground, but occasionally veer off into more interesting territory - and at the very least, they are pleasant things to have on in the background, and reminders of a time when it was possible to switch on the radio and hear an impromptu interview with the Winston (if you lived in the States, at any rate).Let's start with one that YATPOB seems to have missed; John on Pennsylvania station WZMF. The interviewer is mildly obsessed with the Plastic Ono Band album, which leads to some intereshting reflections from John. (In fact, he thanks the DJ at the end for forcing him to think about his answers.) Listen here: PART 1 & PART 2.Here's the rest of the list, copied over from YATPOB, with links to the bits I've been able to find on YouTube inserted:??/Sep/1974 KSAN FM - San Francisco interview to Tom Donahue 20/Sep/1974 KHJ AM - Promoting "Walls & Bridges" in L.A 25/Sep/1974 RKO Radio - 70 minute interview 26/Sep/1974 CHUM Radio - Toronto station interview ??/Sep/1974 WMMS FM - Cleveland interview with Denny Sanders 27/Sep/1974 KHJ AM - Los Angeles, John is Guest DJ on Breakfast showHe gives capsule answers to callers on various topics, and takes the piss in fine style out of the adverts. (I actually larfed out loud a couple of times listening to this. And that doesn't happen.)(At one point he attempts a Scotch accent - fairly terribly, I thought, until I realised that he is actually doing an Ivor Cutler impersonation - and a pretty good one, too!) Interestingly enuff, many of the callers are kiddies on their way to school, one or two of whom are noticeably "atrimble" at speaking to yer actual Lennon; this in 1974, mind you, when the Beatles were auld farts, and the kids all dug the new scene - your Gary Glitters, Showaddywaddys (or whatever the fuck they were called etc.). Yet that Beatle "magic" clearly persisted. Anyway, if you just want the advertorial piss-takes, then goHERE. Or the whole show (more or less) here: PART 1 & PART 2.27/Sep/1974 WAXB FM - Mark Parenteau interview for Detroit station John gibbers about his UFO experience, and names his favourite Beatles song. ListenHERE.27/Sep/1974 Capital Radio - Kenny Everett interview 27/Sep/1974 "Rock Speak" BBC Radio 1 - Michael Wale interview 28/Sep/1974 WNEW FM - New York interview by Denis ElsasJohn drops by WNEW in NYC on a rainy Saturday afternoon (see above pic), bringing with him a few 45's, which he proceeds to play (these, o' course, being some of the very records that would typically ring out around Kenwood of an evening). He also discusses various things, such as artificial stereo on Beatles re-issues, the number 9, unacceptable air, where he nicks his ideas from etc.PART 1, PART 2, PART 3 & PART 4.29/Sep/1974 WRKO - 40 minutes 01/Oct/1974 KRQS Radio - Minneapolis interview by Alan Stone 06/Oct/1974 "Speaking of Everything" (WABC) Howard Cosell interview ??/Oct/1974 WEBN Cincinnati - Short 4 min phone interview 10/Oct/1974 Jim Ladd Interview - More promoting "Walls & Bridges" Hear it here: PART 1 & PART 2.

correction: WZMF was located in menominee falls, wis (a suburb of milwaukee)--i remember lsitening to john's interview on it, and also have a music mag put out/sponsered by them that published the transcript from it.!